Nintendo is re-releasing the Switch 2 in the EU with a replaceable battery—and it's high time handheld gaming PCs followed suit

Not so long ago, I was primarily a console gamer. One thing I definitely don't miss about those bad old days is that, unlike with a gaming PC, when things went wrong, cracking the console open myself was rarely a real option. Well, thanks to the EU's right to repair bill, some significant repairability hoops are about to disappear for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Teardown team iFixIt was previously unimpressed with the repairability of the Nintendo Switch 2, particularly on account of the battery being easy to disconnect but otherwise glued in place within the launch model. The good news is that Nintendo will soon release a version of the Nintendo Switch 2 with batteries you can replace much more easily yourself—but only in the European Union (via Nikkei).

The new version of the Switch 2 will feature replaceable batteries for both the main console and the Joy-Con controllers, too. The Switch 2 model featuring the glued-in battery will continue to be sold in Japan, and Nintendo still doesn't recommend folks outside of the EU attempt to replace the console's battery themselves.

Instead, Nintendo and many non-console manufacturers like it often only offer consumers a very short list of authorised repair facilities. Packing up and sending off faulty hardware is not only a faff, but can also be expensive if these sanctioned specialists then decide it's not worth the repair. In other words, there have been concerns for a long time that this repairability model actually limits consumer choice.

For instance, back in 2023, iFixit described Apple's iPhone 14 as 'literally not repairable' due to strict parts validation rules. This severely limited smaller repair shop operations' ability to fix the smartphone back then, though the iPhone 16—a year later, with its debond-on-demand battery—may have signified the first wave of a sea change.

Basically, the replaceable battery model of the Switch 2 exists so that the console remains compliant with various repairability laws that will soon come into effect across EU member states—specifically, the EU introduced fresh battery regulation back in 2023.

This includes a directive that aims to ensure portable batteries are easy to remove, replace, and recycle by typical consumers "without requiring the use of specialised tools, unless they are provided free of charge, or proprietary tools, thermal energy or solvents to disassemble it." This comes into effect from February 2027.

As we've previously covered, the EU further strengthened the 'right to repair' with fresh legislation back in 2024 as well. The resulting directive aims to "reduce premature disposal of viable goods purchased by consumers and to encourage consumers to use their goods longer" by "allowing consumers to seek affordable repair from the repair service provider of their choice." EU member states have until 31 July 2026 to incorporate this directive into national law.

Nintendo, seeing which way the legislative wind is blowing, is simply getting its ship in order. Now we've seen such a major player steering with the EU's current, odds are plenty of handheld gaming PC manufacturers will soon follow suit.

Offering replaceable batteries has been a long time coming for the handheld market, and there's little room to argue now that the EU has made it clear that that's the price to paddle among its waters. Here's hoping similar 'right to repair' legislation outside of the EU gets a boost, too, in the near future.